U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,290 discloses a skate boot comprising quarter medial and lateral portions integrally connected together in a one-piece construction and being folded at a symmetry line to form a U-shaped skate boot structure. The skate boot has a tendon guard secured to the quarter medial and lateral portions at a junction line in a side-by-side fashion thereby resulting in the rear portion of the skate boot having an obtuse angular profile defined by the tendon guard and the quarter medial and lateral portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,159 discloses a skate boot comprising an articulated cuff for encircling and supporting the ankle of a skater. The articulated cuff is partially inserted in the skate boot and is slidably coupled to the skate boot to permit forward and backward motion of the articulated cuff relative to an axis coinciding approximately with the pivot axis of the ankle of the skater.
The most recent trend in skate boot construction is to manufacture skate boots using lightweight components, and where possible with a reduced number of components.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a lighter skate boot that provides rigidity
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a lighter skate boot that provides rigidity around the ankle while allowing backwards flexion of the ankle when the foot of the skater moves towards full extension.